1. The Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention includes teaching methods, particularly those using computers to teach concepts primarily using visual and aural interaction with the user. More particularly, the invention relates to computer-based learning systems where the learning portion or learning frame is presented onto the display while the user is working with other computer applications or the operating system itself. Another field of the present invention includes those areas where "teaching" is automatically incorporated with some other task thereby requiring less user effort or focus to initiate learning.
2. Present State of the Art
The area of teaching methods and devices is broad and diverse encompassing many different ways of teaching a variety of different concepts, principles, and other commonly learned information. Throughout this application, in order to simplify the approach used by the present invention, the exemplary information taught will be the meaning, pronunciation, spelling, and usage of vocabulary words. Because the present invention may be applied to many other types of learning, the example of increasing vocabulary is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the ensuing claims because virtually any item of learning or learning frame is capable of being taught or reinforced by the present invention.
For teaching vocabulary, books and audio tapes comprise the traditional approach that an individual would use. There are a number of problems with each of these two varieties of media that some students may find troublesome. These include dedicated student learning time, student initiation of each individual learning sequence or learning frame, lack of pronunciation information in some instances, lack of flexibility in choosing desired vocabulary words (or other unit of learning), etc.
In order to use a book or audio tape, a student must spend an allotted time studying a book or listening to an audio tape. This "dedicated time" may be difficult to schedule for a busy and overburdened student, and it is likely that those students interested in improving their vocabulary or learning some other form of information will be precisely the type of person that has little time to dedicate to such a task. The net result is, that while the books and tapes may be purchased with the best of intentions in mind, their actual use by the student and hence student learning may be severely limited due to the learning format.
Books and other forms of printed media, in particular, have the added inability to present to the student the actual pronunciation of a word as it would sound alone or as used in a sample sentence. Though phonetic descriptions of the word may exist, they do not replace actually hearing the word as it would be spoken. Furthermore, the process of learning from a book is tedious and requires focused concentration as well as the dedicated time for studying. The lack of verbal pronunciation may make some students hesitant to use the new words learned for fear of embarrassment due to incorrect pronunciation.
While audio tapes are helpful because the student can actually hear the words as pronounced and used, the student is forced to learn the words as they are presented in the tape. A student may be compelled to listen through an entire taped presentation in order to learn the few words that are most relevant and important to the student. There is no way to pick and choose the particular units of learning (e.g., individual vocabulary words) or the ordering of the learning frames (e.g., individual vocabulary words). Furthermore, this causes poor word reinforcement and may make it difficult for the student to remember and use the words as they were discussed in the audio tape presentation. Again, the student must dedicate a block of time in order to learn the words. The same problems mentioned in connection with learning a new vocabulary word also exist when learning with other forms of information.
Computer hardware/software systems provide many options for dealing with the deficiencies found in the more traditional books and audio tapes. Multimedia systems provide particularly useful solutions since both visual and audible sensory stimuli may be used as part of the teaching interaction between the student and the computer environment.
For vocabulary building, some systems allow pronunciation of words and quizzing (e.g., multiple choice, sentence completion, flash cards, etc.) but lack flexibility in choosing and ordering individual words to be learned by the student. Furthermore, existing programs and systems require the student to dedicate time to learning. In other words, the student operates the program or system with the express purpose of learning the vocabulary words and must suspend work on other tasks while dedicating his or her time to the task of learning. As mentioned previously, this has serious drawbacks for those students who are already over burdened and who are looking for fast, convenient ways of learning and learning reinforcement of new vocabulary words or other types of learning. Currently, no product for building vocabulary allows customized word lists, including words entered and defined by the user, or non-student initiated learning sequences with the learning sequences occurring during a student's normal activities within a given environment.